Case for a package of cigarettes



Aug. 18, 1953 Filed Oct.

Zhwentor JOHN F. BABE/7'7 (Ittorneg Patented Aug. 18,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASE FOR A PACKAGE OF CIGARETTES Applicationctober'15, 1948, Serial N 0. 54,801

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a container or enclosing device having a coverarticulated therewith, generically termed a case for receiving andstoring a package of cigarettes or the like.

To provide a useful, enduring and appealing case for receiving a fullcommercial package of cigarettes, protecting the contents thereof whenfull and the remainder thereof as cigarettes are withdrawn, aconstruction wherein the cover of the case is automatically normallyretained closed and means for expeditiously swinging the cover to theopen position in response to a squeezing force applied by a human handto the front and back members of the case, is the main object of thisinvention.

Another object of this invention consists of providing a constructionwherein the object stated in the preceding paragraph can be accomplishedand supplied to the users at a low price.

Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description presented in terms ofthe accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment and as conciselystated in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, drawn to full size scale and adapted foruse in connection with a standard package of twenty cigarettes, of mycase disposed in a figure that represents a human hand that has applieda squeezing force thereto and oriented the cover to the open position.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the case. The full lines show this casewith the cover closed in normal position while the broken lines indicatethe sides of the case and the cover thereof operated to open and exposethe interior or contents of the case substantially as illustrated inFig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the case with the cover shown inthe open position.

Figure 4c is an elevation of Fig. 3 along line 4, i of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a fragment of the top portion of Fig. 4 modified to showespecially the relation of the axes when the case is closed or in normalstate.

The six pieces that comprise the entire container or case are the body5, cover 6, operator bar 7, rivets 8, 9 and pintle 9A.

A rectangular unit of sheet metal having resilient properties,preferably of the non-ferrous group, is employed to provide the verticalWalls and bottom member of body 5. This unit before 2 being bent intothe U-shaped form illustrated is notched at four places along thelongitudinal margins thereof to locate corners H), II. This bending isperformed after the unit has been formed into a channel bysimultaneously bending the longitudinal portions of the margins of theunit to provide flanges l2, I2; 53, I3 and I4, is which ultimatelyconstitute the vertical end walls of the body while the base of thechannel functions as front [6, back H and bottom I 8 thereof. It must beespecially noted that the front, back. and bottom portions, whenconsidered individually, remain substantially integrally rigid at alltimes, the upper portions of the front and backv members can be readilymoved toward one another by flexing at the corners l0 and H. When thebody is formed into said U shape it is left with" the front and backmembers spread outwardly beyond parallel vertical lines so as to providea latent force, after assembly, for normally retaining the cover in theclosed position as explained hereafter.

A unit of sheet metal is pressed to provide cover 6. The lower rear edgeis fashionedwith three. tongues, the two narrow ones, when curled,provide eyes 2Q, 20 for pivotally embracing the rear section of operatorbar 7 While the broad central tongue is curled to provide eye 2| thatembraces pintle 9A. The end portions of this pintle are also embraced byeyes 22, 22 integral with back member I 7 thereby providing a hingedarticulation. Each end of operator bar I is curled to freely embraceprojecting ends respectively of rivets 8 and 9 that are locatedrespectively in sections I3, E3. The end of each rivet may be rolledover the exposed side faces of the eye associated therewith.

As the case is completely assembled the front and back members of thebody are moved from the spread state, adverted to above, to parallelrelation as shown in full lines of Fig. 2 and normally retained in thisstate by operator bar 1 by reason of the construction explained in thepreceding paragraph. Thus, it will be perceived that the latent springforce of body 5 biases the cover to the closed position as shown inFigs. 2 and 5. Since the axis of rivets 8 and 9, the pivotal center ofthe eyes of the operator bar, are disposed materially below axis of thearticulation of the operator bar with the cover, the latter is retainedunder definite tension downwardly when closed, thus effecting a snugcontact with the top edges of body when in a normal state and withoutthe use of some latching device.

The physical embodiment of my invention disclosed herein is the formpresently moving in commerce. However, it is to be understood that thebody and cover may be formed from a sheet of plastic material or mouldedinto component parts from suitable materials which, when assembled,would constitute another embodiment of this invention; also that my casemay be reorganized so that the cover will be responsive to squeezingpressure applied to the end or narrow walls instead of to the front andback broad walls or members in which instance these end members are tobe regarded as front and back walls, especially in terms of the appendedclaims. ,And further, in the event a non-resilient material should bechosen from which to make the body element, a resilient member could beincorporated into the structure to supply the latent spring forcenecessary for producing a workable device of the character disclosedherein. Other modifications of and departures from the above disclosurescan be freely made and yet fulfill the objects and advantages of thisinvention as primarily stated, therefore, I wish to be limited only bythe terms of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A container for a package of cigarettes comprising a body ofresilient material having a bottom from which spaced front and backwalls extend upwardly, said front wall having side flanges extendingrearwardly from the side edges thereof, a unitary cover arranged in ahorizontal plane across the top of said body and having a peripheralflange extending downwardly and embracing the upper edge portions ofsaid front Wall and said side flanges, means pivotally connecting therear edge portion of said cover to the upper edge portion of said backwall on a horizontal pivotal axis located below said peripheral flange,a pair of headed pins carried by said side flanges respectively andextending inwardly therefrom on a common horizontal axis near the upperends of said side flanges, a U-shaped wire element having eyes formed atthe ends thereof and encircling the shanks of said pins, and meanspivotally connecting the bridge portion of said wire element to the rearportion of said peripheral flange on a horizontal axis located above the2,649,194 .i ii p i pivotal axis of said cover whereby, upon pressingthe upper end of said front wall toward-s said rear wall, said cover isrotated by said wire element from a horizontal or closed position to avertical or open position.

2. A container for a package of cigarettes comprising a body ofresilient material having a bottom from which spaced front and backwalls extend upwardly, said front wall having side flanges extendingrearwardly from the side edges thereof, a unitary cover arranged in ahorizontal plane across the top of said body and having a peripheralflange extending downwardly and embracing the upper edge portions ofsaid front wall and said side flanges, means pivotally connecting therear edge portion of said cover to the upper edge portion of said backwall on a horizontal pivotal axis located below said peripheral flange,means carried by each of said side flanges extending inwardly therefromon a common horizontal axis near the upper ends of said side flanges, aU-shaped wire element, the free ends of said wire element beingpivotally secured to said last-named means, and means pivotallyconnecting the bridge portion of said wire element to the rear portionof said peripheral flange on a horizontal axis located above the pivotalaxis of said cover whereby, upon pressing the upper end of said frontwall towards said rear wall, said cover is rotated by said wire elementfrom a horizontal or closed position to a vertical or open position.

JOHN F. BABBITT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Aug. 9, 1878 Great Britain Dec. 3,1931 Number Number

